The Industrial Technology Research Institute in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County is partnering with Malaysia-based All Cosmos Bio-Tech Holding Corp. (ACBT) on a biofuel and sugar production project in the Southeast Asian nation, according to the state-backed R&D agency May 22.
Under a cooperation agreement inked the same day, ITRI will share its advances in sugar production and purification. These will be used to transform biomass into cellulosic sugars—xylose and glucose—for subsequent conversion into biofuel.
Inputs for the project are set to come from palm oil plantations, which generate huge amounts of biomass waste in the form of empty fruit bunch. A pilot plant to turn EFB into cellulosic sugars is expected to commence operations next year, while plans for another facility to handle biofuel and commercial sugar production are in development, ITRI said.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Taipei City, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Tseng Wen-sheng said that the agreement spotlights Taiwan’s expertise in green energy R&D and provides a template for similar collaborative projects in other nations. The country is committed to further strengthening its capabilities in this field in line with the government’s five-plus-two industrial innovation program, he added.
ACBT Chairman Tony Peng described EFB as a significant environmental challenge given the rapid growth of Malaysia’s palm oil industry. Thanks to technological support from ITRI, this waste can be transformed into valuable products and help engrain circular economy principles at home and abroad, he said.
According to ITRI, with the current market prices for xylose and glucose standing at US$3,500 and US$350 per ton, respectively, the initial phase of the project is projected to generate outputs valued at NT$3.38 billion (US$107.2 million) by 2022.
A key plank in the government’s economic development strategy, the five-plus-two initiative targets the high-growth sectors of biotechnology, green energy, national defense, smart machinery and Internet of Things, as well as two core concepts: the circular economy and a new paradigm for agricultural development. (CPY-E)
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